BELLINGHAM, Wash. — First responders were dispatched to the 4400 block of Meridian Street Friday, January 21st, about 7:45pm due to a report of a crash.
Bellingham Police Department (BPD) Lieutenant Claudia Murphy told Whatcom News that initial reports were that a vehicle had flipped over in a ditch or retention pond. When BPD officers arrived, they found the car on its side in about a 6-foot-deep retention pond and the driver still in the driver’s seat.
The driver appeared to be severely injured, and officers entered the water to remove the windshield to gain access to the unconscious driver. They remained in the water with the driver until Bellingham Fire Department (BFD) emergency medical service personnel arrived.
The male driver was extricated from the vehicle by BFD personnel and transported to PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center.
There was significant damage to a fence on the property as well as some business inventory. In addition, a fire hydrant was uprooted and dragged about 20 feet.
BPD continues to investigate whether driving under the influence was a factor in the crash.